Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Trusting God
Trust may be the hardest thing for a Christian to learn. The essence of our faith is to stop relying on ourselves and to start trusting God.
But I think there may be an even harder form of trust that we as Christians have to learn - and that is to trust other Christians. Think about how scripture describes how the church is supposed to work.
Yet, there is so much that we think we should be doing. Who doesn't come away from church at some point thinking they could have preached that sermon better? What about something not so churchy? Why must every Christian do something global warming? (Well, comes the retort, can't everybody do a little - shouldn't they? I got news for you folks, if everyone changes from incandescent to flourescent light bulbs and drives hybrids, it won't help that much, assuming the doomsyaers models - that should tell you something.)
Have you ever thought about the fact that when you don't trust other Christians to do what they do, what they are better trained and more inclined to do than you, that it is actually a failure to trust in God?
Why is this important? Because we want the best people doing things, that's why. I learned early and with difficulty that I am not suited for vocational ministry. When I did such ministry, not good things happened. The same would be true for other people when they step outside of what they are suited to doing. A pastor is not suited to politics for any number of reasons. Likewise, a politician is not suited to do what I do, or what a pastor does.
We need to learn how not only to trust God, but to trust how God chooses to do things, and that means other of God's people. That may be the hardest lesson I know.
Related Tags: trust, God, others, Christians
Prov 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.It is a daily struggle for each of us to rest on God and not on ourselves.
But I think there may be an even harder form of trust that we as Christians have to learn - and that is to trust other Christians. Think about how scripture describes how the church is supposed to work.
1 Cor 12:5 - And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.There is much that must happen for the church, society, and the world to function, and God chooses to use us as His instruments to accomplish those many things. Part of the implications of this are that we, as individuals, cannot do everything.
Yet, there is so much that we think we should be doing. Who doesn't come away from church at some point thinking they could have preached that sermon better? What about something not so churchy? Why must every Christian do something global warming? (Well, comes the retort, can't everybody do a little - shouldn't they? I got news for you folks, if everyone changes from incandescent to flourescent light bulbs and drives hybrids, it won't help that much, assuming the doomsyaers models - that should tell you something.)
Have you ever thought about the fact that when you don't trust other Christians to do what they do, what they are better trained and more inclined to do than you, that it is actually a failure to trust in God?
1 Cor 12:6 - And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.I think it is important that as Christians, we figure our what "our jobs" are. For example, the job of a pastor is to help form Christians and Christian community. Thus, when a pastor starts taking stances on political issues for the church, despite the fact that as a private citizen he should have an opinion, he is stepping outside of his "job description."
Why is this important? Because we want the best people doing things, that's why. I learned early and with difficulty that I am not suited for vocational ministry. When I did such ministry, not good things happened. The same would be true for other people when they step outside of what they are suited to doing. A pastor is not suited to politics for any number of reasons. Likewise, a politician is not suited to do what I do, or what a pastor does.
We need to learn how not only to trust God, but to trust how God chooses to do things, and that means other of God's people. That may be the hardest lesson I know.
Related Tags: trust, God, others, Christians
